Cabbage Kofta

Cabbage Kofta was a new recipe to me, I never used cabbage for making koftas. I found the reciped from Married to Desi. I immediately fell in love with the recipe. It was simple and easy to try and tasted really good...




Ingredients:

Koftas (This is for 30 Koftas, I just used half the qty)
1 small head cabbage,
1 carrot shredded or finely minced,
3/4 cup besan flour,
1 tsp garam masala,
2 tbsp red chilly powder,
Salt,
oil to deep fry

Gravy
1 pound tomatoes, (I used 3 large Roma tomatoes)
2 tbsp coriander seeds,
2 tbsp cumin seeds,
½ tsp poppy seeds,
1/2 tsp Fennel seeds,
1 /2 tsp anardhana powder, ( I guess this was pomegranate powder, I didnt use it)
2 tbsp minced/grated ginger,
2 medium green chillies,
3 dried red chillies,
a large handful of cilantro,
1 medium onion,
1/2 tsp turmeric,
1 clove garlic minced (optional)

Preparation:

I did small changes for my taste, still following the original recipe from Married to Desi...


1. Grind all the ingredients for the gravy together into a fine paste, adding about 2 cups of water. 2. Sauté the gravy with 2 tbsp. butter ( I didnt have butter, just used oil) letting it thicken. Bring this to a boil, seasoning with salt.
3. Mince the cabbage (best done with a food processor). Add salt and leave it for a few minutes.
4. Squeeze as much of the water out of the cabbage as possible.
5. Add the besan to the cabbage, along with the rest of the kofta ingredients, and knead it together.
6. Form this mixture into small balls, and fry them in hot oil until brown.
7. Add the balls to the gravy, and let it soak for about half an hour.

Serve hot with rice!!!!!

Onion Cracker/ Baked Nippattu

This recipe was an entry my MBP: Snacks and Savouries event from Madhuram's eggless cooking.. I instantly fell in luv with the recipe, tried it...Man it was crispy and tasted very good... I did follow Madhuram's recipe a lot. The original recipe was from Red chillies...

Madhuram and Red chillies, Ur recipe is Tried, Tasted and Certified Excellent...

Check out the original version From Redchillies...

Check out the modified version from Eggless cooking..




Ingredients:

· 2 cups of maida (All purpose flour)
· 1/4 cup water (warm)
· 4 tsp sesame seeds
· 1/3 cup oil
· 4 Tbsp butter (melted) ( I used 'I cant Beleive its butter' as suggested by Madhuram)
· 1 big onion(finely chopped)
· 1 tsp baking soda
· 3 green chillies (finely chopped) (I used redchilli powder)
· Handful of chopped coriander leaves
· 2 tsp Sugar ( I didnt use it)
· 1 tsp Salt

Prepration:

I didnt make any changes, just followed as mentioned in redchillies... Dont forget to check the tips from Red chillies... My oven temp was 350 F and baked it for 25 to 30 mts... Keep checking them after 20 mts.. dont let the onions to burn..oven timings vary...



Verdict:

It was perfect snack with tea... It just melts in ur mouth.. I loved the buttery flavour in the crackers.. Overall we loved it!!!!

Spinach Ginger Patties

I was browsing for some new recipes for spinach, found this one from Supriya's blog Ode 2 Food. It was an interesting combo of spinach and ginger...gave it a try..tasted wonderful with burger buns... If u r watching calories..u can have patties alone, either way its tasty..She has served it with Tomato relish which i didnt prepare.. Check her space for the original recipe....

Supriya, Ur recipe is Tried, Tasted Certified: Excellent..



Ingredients
1 bag baby spinach, finely chopped
2 large potatoes (or 3-4 medium/small potatoes)1 large onion, finely chopped
2″ piece ginger, minced or grated
5 white bread slices, crust removed, torn to small pieces
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
3-5 canola oil for shallow frying


Preparation:

Boil the potatoes until tender, peel and mash them in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the onions, ginger, coriander powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, lemon juice, cilantro and salt. Combine everything together well. Now add in the bread and chopped spinach and mash everything together with your hands. It might seem like too much spinach, but the minute it hits the warm potatoes it will wilt down to quarter its volume. Cover this mixture and let it rest for 20 minutes in the refrigerator while it tightens up.Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat and add about 4-5 tbsp of oil just enough to cover the base of the pan. Form 3-4 inch patties gently place in the heated oil. Shallow fry on both sides till brown (around 4 minutes per side).
The only change i did to the recipe was, instead of shallow fry I baked them for 20 mts at 400F. Turn once to get it evenly cooked.

Serve it with Fresh salad!!!

Bread Puttu

Hope u guys had a wonderful Vinyagar chaturthi... Mine was busy but enjoyed every bit of it.. I made Sesame ladoo, uppu urundai, pidi kozhukattai and modak.. My vinayagar chaturthi post will be coming soon...

Bread puttu, found this wonderful recipe from Priya's Easy and Tasty recipes..Breads are usually used for sandwhich which gets boring after few times. This recipe is kids pleaser and wonderful healthy snack for diet conscious adults....

Priya, Ur recipe is Tried, Tasted and Certified: Excellent...

Check out the original recipe from Priya's blog!!!!

Ingredients:

4 Wheat Bread Slices
1 tbsp butter
Cashew nuts
1/4 tsp Cardamom powder
3 tbsp Grated Coconut
1/4 cup Sugar

Preparation:

Step by step procedure from Priya's blog...

Beat the bread slices in a food processor coarsely n keep aside..Heat a non-stick pan, add the butter n let them melt, break the cashews into small pieces, once the butter r ghee is hot add the cashew pieces n fry them until they turns brownish, now add the grated coconut r dessicated coconut, keep the flame in simmer n fry them for a second, now add the coarsely powdered bread pieces to the ghee n turn them for a while, add the sugar to the bread puttu n stir them for a minute,add cardamom powder to the puttu, stir them for a while n put of the stove...

Serve hot!!!!

This is on its way to Sunday snacks: snacks with bread hosted by Priya.

Mushroom gravy

Button mushrooms are my favourite. In India, I tried mushroom only once that too the big wild grown mushrooms, which tasted very good. Mushrooms are best eaten fresh otherwise it might cause some health issues(especially in restaurants, I don't order any mushroom dish). I was browsing vaishali's Holy cow blog, found this wonderful recipe from her dad. It was simple yet delicious.

Check out the original recipe from Vaishali's Holy cow....





Ingredients:

3 cups of assorted mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into chunky strips (I used Button mushroom)
2 medium potatoes, cubed and microwaved with some water for about 5 minutes until they are barely tender. ( I didn't use it)
2 tbsp canola oil ( Replaced with Corn 0il)
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 red chillies
5 cloves ( I used 2 cloves)
5 pods of green cardamom (I used 2 cardamom)
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup shredded coconut (I used coconut powder))
1-inch piece of ginger, thinly sliced
6 large garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 medium tomatoes, diced

Preparation:

I didn't make any changes to recipe, except excluding potatoes. Check out Vaishali's Holy cow!!!

Heat 1/2 tbsp of the oil in a skillet. Add the coriander, cumin, chillies. cardamom, cloves and peppercorns and roast until they start changing color and become fragrant. Remove and reserve.Heat another 1/2 tbsp of oil stir fry half the sliced onion, garlic and ginger until they are golden brown. Reserve.Without adding any more oil, roast the coconut shreds for just a few seconds until they start turning golden-brown. Remove immediately. Be vigilant because coconut can burn easily.
Put the spices, onion, garlic, ginger and coconut in a blender and using 1/2 to 1 cup of water, grind to a smooth paste.In the same skillet used for toasting the spices and onions, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil.Add the remaining onion and cook until the onion starts turning golden-brown.Add the diced tomatoes and turmeric. Cook until the tomatoes start to break down.Add the sliced mushrooms and stir to coat with the spices. Add the potatoes.Cover and let cook until the veggies turn quite tender.Now add the ground spice-onion mixture. Stir thoroughly.Cover and let it cook another 10 minutes for the flavors to meld together.

Verdict:

The curry tasted heavenly. The flavour of fresh peeper and mushroom was awe some.. This is going to be one recipe I will cherish forever. FYI, I replaced mushroom with chicken and it was one hell of a combo... I am yet it to try it with mutton, coz the original recipe used to cook mutton.. I am sure, the mutton curry will be more tasty than Mushrooms...

Vaishali, Ur recipe is TRIED, TASTED & CERTIFIED:EXCELLENT.

Ras malai with Ricotta cheese

I love sweets of any kind. I would eat them all day long. Ras malai is one of my fav. Traditional ras malai recipe involves difficult step of making Malai. I had ricotta cheese at home didn't know what to with it. I was browsing for recipes and found out interesting one... Ras malai made with ricotta cheese. I had all the ingredients, tried it immediately...

If u are wondering what is ricotta cheese..Here is brief introduction....

Ricotta (pronounced /riˈkɔtːa/ in Italian) is an Italian sheep milk or cow milk whey cheese.[1] Ricotta lit. 'recooked' uses the whey, a limpid, low-fat, nutritious liquid that is a by-product of cheese production.

Ricotta is produced from whey, the liquid separated out from the curds when cheese is made. Most of the milk protein (especially casein) is removed when cheese is made, but some protein remains in the whey, mostly albumin. This remaining protein can be harvested if the whey is first allowed to become more acidic by additional fermentation (by letting it sit for 12-24 hours at room temperature). Then the acidified whey is heated to near boiling. The combination of low pH and high temperature causes additional protein to precipitate out, forming a fine curd. Once cooled, the curd is separated by passing though a fine cloth.

After realizing that whey cannot be safely dumped in large concentrations as it creates an environmental nuisance,[1] Romano makers discovered that when the protein-rich substance is heated, whey protein particles fuse and create a curd. This curd, after drainage, is ricotta. Because ricotta is made from whey, rather than milk, it is a whey cheese, not technically a "cheese".[2]

While Italian Ricotta is typically made from the whey of sheep, cow, goat, or water buffalo milk, the American product is almost always made of cow's milk whey. While both types are low in fat and sodium, the Italian version is nutty, slightly sweet and has dry texture, while the American is blander, sweeter, moister, and therefore more neutral in cooking.[1]Ricotta is known in Portuguese cuisine as Requeijao. Indian Khoa is often confused with ricotta but the two are very different. It is lower in moisture and made from whole milk instead of whey.

Priya, Ur recipe is Tried, Tasted and Certified: Excellent!!!

I found this recipe from Priya's Kitchen. I followed the recipe step by step. Check out the recipe here!!!!!
(Ricotta cheese Malai)


I made basundi for Ras whereas priya used half and half to make ras. Checkout basundi recipe here!!!!



Verdict:

Ras malai tasted very good. My hubby loved it. It was 90% close to the taste of original ras malai.....it was easy to prepare and u can make it 30-45 mts. So go ahead and try it!!!!

A tribute to the King of POP & Methi coconut pulao

Micheal Jackson, MJ adored all over the world as King of pop passed away yesterday... I am one of his millions of fan shocked by the news... I thought it might be a prank but this time its real..he is no more..He was one of a kind entertainer, who made his audience dazzle with electrifying performances. MJ was surrounded by controversies than his successful career..His music will stay for ever!!! He is incomparable....My hubby was mentioning a famous saying, " when you go to the top of the world, there is no way other than going down".. MJ proved it.. He was top of the world.. he himself made his life miserable with controversies and finally he is no more...


We all Love you MJ.. May Ur soul rest in peace!!!



Lets focus on today's recipe Methi coconut pulao.. I found this recipe from Indira's mahanandi... I tried it with brown rice. The bitterness of methi/ fenugreek leaves was balanced by sweetness of peas and coconut milk... Tasted very good...



Indira, Ur recipe is Tried, Tasted and Certified: Excellent!!!

Check out the original recipe here!!!





Ingredients:



2 cups basmati rice ( I used Brown rice)

2 cups fresh methi (fresh fenugreek) leaves

6 chillies - sliced thin lengthwise

1 cup fresh peas ( I used Frozen sweet peas)

1 cup finely sliced onion - lengthwise

½ cup homemade coconut milk or ¼ cup of store-bought type ( I used store bought)

½ cup roasted cashews (optional) ( I didnt use it)

1 teaspoon each - ghee or peanut oil ( I used corn oil)

salt to taste

Paste:

¼ teaspoon each - black peppercorns, cloves and fresh ginger pieces coarsely grind.



Preparation:



Wash and soak basmati rice in 3 cups of water for about 15 - 30 minutes. ( I didnt follow this step, coz brown rice doesnt need any soaking)
Meanwhile, in a thick-bottomed wide pot, heat ghee or oil on high heat. Add and fry the onions first and then the peppercorn-clove-ginger paste and chillies. Add the fresh peas and fresh methi leaves. Stir-fry until the leaves wilt.
Add the basmati rice ( Brown rice)and along with the water it soaked in( add water according to packet specification. Mine says 1 cup : 2.5 cups of water). Stir in coconut milk and salt. Mix thoroughly. I transferred the contents to an electric rice cooker and let the cooker do the rest of the job for me. Once u see the green light , add and gently mix roasted cashews.


Serve hot. Sprinkle in some lime/lemon juice just before serving. I dint sprinkle lemon. I will try next time..



QUESTION FOR THE DAY!!!



WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT MICHEAL JACKSON (FAME TO FALL) ???

Cracked wheat Idli

I am constantly looking for healthy breakfast items... even though we eat them at dinner... its better to have lit meal before sleep. Crack wheat is the most used grain in my house.. When i found this recipe featured in Madhuram's eggless cooking, I was instantly attracted to the recipe... The recipe was originally posted by Cham of Spice club.

Cham ur recipe is Tried, Tasted and Certified: Excellent.

Check out the original recipe here :D!!!!!

Ingredients:

Wheat rawa: 1 cup ( I powdered Cracked wheat)
Sour Yogurt:1 cup
Water: 1/2 cup
Salt: according your taste
Baking soda: 1/2 tsp
Cilantro & curry leaves: 1 tbsp chopped

Grated Carrot : 1 cup (I added it to make more healthy :D)

Seasoning:

Channa dhal: 1 tsp
Urad dhal: 1tsp
Mustard seed: 1 tsp
Cashew: 1 tbsp Broken (optional)
Grated coconut (optional): 1 tbsp
Oil: 1 tsp
Onion: 1 /4 minced finely

green chillies: 3 Finely chopped

grated ginger: 1 tsp ( Maduram suggested it in her post)

Preparation:

Heat oil and season with all the ingredients and fry the onion for 2 min! add to the dry ingredient (Baking soda,wheat, salt) mixture, pour the yogurt, water , Chopped green chilies , grated Carrot and mix into idli batter consistency (little thick).
Grease idlis mold, fill the idli mold and steam for 10 min. When you insert a toothpick, it should come up clean.

Note:

It is good to make the batter immediately before making idli. If u keep it for 1 hr, all the water will be absorbed by rava and it will be hard to make idlis.

This recipe is on its way to Show me your Breakfast hosted by Divya vikram of Dilse.

Capsicum Chutney & Mint chutney

JFI and AFAM reached successful end..Thank you so much for ur contributions. I will post the roundups asap....

Today's menu is capsicum chutney, I had capsicum for ages in my fridge..was looking for some recipes...one recipe caught my attention, sailu's capsicum chutney.. I have done capsicum poriyal, never even thought of doing chutney with capsicum. I gave it a try and it was great success.. Goes very well with dosa..

Sailu, ur recipe is Tried, Tasted and Certified:Excellent..

(Recipe source)

Ingredients:

3 big capsicums, washed and cubed
8-10 green chillies, chop into big pieces (adjust)
2-3 tbsp tamarind paste (adjust)
1 large onion, finely sliced

Seasoning:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp split black gram dal
1/2 tbsp channa dal
1-2 dry red chillies
big pinch asafoetida
few fresh curry leaves
1 tbsp oil

Preparation:

I didnt do any changes to the recipe..just followed it as it says...

Heat two tsps oil in a cooking vessel, add green chillis and fry on medium heat for 4-5 mts, stirring it constantly. Remove from pan and cool.In the same pan, add the capsicum pieces and stir fry on medium heat for 3 mts. Remove and cool.Once cool, grind the sauteed green chillis, capsicum and tamarind paste to a coarse paste (I grounded it to a fine paste). Keep aside.4Add the remaining oil to the cooking vessel, add mustard seeds and let them pop, add cumin seeds and dals. Let the dals turn red, add curry leaves and dry red chillis. Add the asafoetida and stir fry for a few seconds.Add the sliced onions and fry for 4 mts or till they turn transparent. Add the ground capsicum-green chilli paste to the sauteed onions and stir fry for atleast 15-18 mts on low to medium flame. Add salt and combine. Ensure that the capsicum-green chilli paste is thoroughly fried in oil. This pachadi stays fresh for a few days if stored in the refrigerator.

Serve with hot rice and a dollop of ghee. (Didnt get a chance to try with rice, i am sure it will taste good).

Next chutney is mint chutney....

Mint chutney is made of mint and cilantro. chutney has refreshing flavour and freshens ur entire system....

Ingredients:

Mint - 1 bunch

Coriander leaves - 1 bunch

Channa dal - 1 tbsp

Dalia/udaitha kadalai paruppu- 2 tbsp

Red chillies - 3

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Garlic - 3 cloves

Tamarind extract - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tsp

Preparation:

Heat oil in a pan and add channa dal, red chillies, ginger, garlic and chopped mint and coriander leaves. . After the leaves reduce in volume remove from fire and let it cool. Grind the mixture along with tamarind extract, dalia, salt and water as needed to make a fine paste. Heat oil in a pan, do the seasoning and once the mustard seeds start to splutter pour the seasoning into the chutney.

Serve with Idli, dosa and Rice..

Capsicum chutney is on its way to AFAM:BELLPEPPERS hosted by priya of Priya's easyntasty recipes, originated from maheswari of Beyond the usual.

Kothimbir Vadi/ Coriander cutlets

I have been having some problem with my feed, if u don't see my post in Ur reader list/updates please check my blog and inform me if u have any problems with my blog feed. It will help me fix the problem. Pooja of My cooking experience was very helfpul to check the feeds and get back to me immediately..thank you pooja.. She blogged about the technical issue two days ago which was an eye opener to resolve my issue.. This is gonna be another tester to make sure my blog feeds are visible in google reader.

Coming back to our recipe, Kothimbir wadi's was blogged by Nupur of One hot stove and re blogged by Poornima of Tasty treats for MBP snacks. Kothimbir is nothing but our Coriander!!! I was very much interested in it and tried it . Aw some recipe..My hubby loved it..I already made it twice...

Nupur, ur recipe is Tried, Tasted and Certified:Excellent.

Ingredients:

2 cups packed cilantro leaves, chopped fine

1 cup chickpea flour/besan

1 tbsp. rice flour

1/4 cup mixed flours (ragi or millet flour/ atta or wheat flour/ any other you have on hand)

4 green chillies, minced fine

1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste

1 tsp. sesame seeds

1 tsp. poppy seeds

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. turmeric

pinch of asafoetida

1 tsp. garam masala

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. sugar (I didnt use it)

salt to taste

Oil for frying

Preparation:

I just followed footsteps of Nupur..

1.Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, except for the oil.

2. Add enough water to make a thick batter and stir well to remove all lumps.

3. Grease a flat vessel (I sprayed cooking spray). Pour the batter into the vessel.

4. Steam for about 30 minutes till a skewer inserted in the middle comes clean.

5.Let cool, unmold and cut into slices.

6. Heat 1/4 inch oil in a skillet and fry the slices till crispy and golden.

Notes:

First time when i tried, I didnt make any changes to the recipe. Second time i made few changes to the recipe, which tasted better and made it much more healthier.

Instead of using 2 cups of besan, i used 1 cup besan and 1 cup ragi flour.

Baby Potatoes Tandoori

I luv baby potatoes..perfect round shaped beauties. My mom used to make potato fry and I still luv it. When I go to supermarket, I will look for those wee ones...never got those perfect small ones. Finally, I found those perfect babies in walmart..Hurray.. I wanted to try my mom's recipe but ended up trying Tandoori Aloo by Shilpa of Aayis recipes.

This recipe was quite new to me..tasted very good..My hubby loved it..we finished all in one sitting. Its such a simple recipe but yields a great taste....

Shilpa: Ur recipe is Tried, Tasted &Certified:Excellent..

(Recipe source)

Ingredients:

7-8 baby potatoes peeled

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

2 tbsp thick curd/yogurt

1-2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1 tbsp lemon juice

Oil

Salt to taste

Preparation:

I didn't do any change to the recipe..just followed the steps mentioned by shilpa..

Prick with a fork or put some deep slit marks with a knife on all the potatoes.Grind onions(preferably without water) to a smooth paste. Add onion paste and all other ingredients, except oil to the potatoes and mix well so that the potatoes get a thick coating of potatoes all over. The yogurt should be very thick so that the mixture remains thick.Leave the potatoes for around 1hr. Heat oil in a non stick pan and add the potatoes with the masala. Close the lid and let it cook on a low flame for around 15mins.

Preheat the oven at 350F for around 5mins. Take the potatoes in a greased bake ware and broil at 350F for around 10-15mins(till the coating has turned brownish).Serve hot with lemon juice.

Garnish with coriander leaves..

Okra Fry with Poppy seeds

I prefer ladies finger to be fried. I don't like it in gravies coz of its stickiness. I already blogged about my favourite Verision. I was looking for something new to try..Found a wonderful recipe from Indira's website..Actually Mahanandi is like google for recipes.. Tried this one..absolutely fantastic..Me and my hubby finished the whole lot fry in one sitting...

Recipe source!!!

Ingredients:

20 okra

3 tablespoons poppy seeds (kus kus)

3 dried red chillies

Salt and turmeric - to taste

Seasoning: 1 tablespoon oil,Pinch each - cumin, mustard seeds and 6 curry leaves

Preparation:

I might have changed the quantities a little bit..just followed the original recipe..

1 Trim the ends and cut the okra to quarter to half inch wide rounds.

2 Roast poppy seeds in a dry, hot iron skillet for about 3 minutes, until they just start to color and release their aromas. Add dried red chillies and a pinch of salt and pound or blend all the ingredients together. Keep working until a nice, moist paste is formed.

3 In a wide skillet, heat a tablespoon of oil. Add and toast the seasoning ingredients first and then add the okra pieces. Mix once and fry the pieces, very rarely stirring, until they are free from moisture. A well seasoned cast-iron skillet charms the okra to a beautiful crispiness. If you have one, use it for this recipe.

"When okra pieces transform from clinging kids to leave me alone type teenagers,
it’s time to introduce the adulthood delights with spices."

This is my favourite quote, I love Indira's way of connecting with real life..Indira please don't mind me for highlighting these lines from ur post...

Add the poppy seed powder, turmeric and salt. Mix gently and saute for few more minutes.

Serve hot with any curry!!!

Spicy chicken curry

Every time, I look for some new recipes to cook with chicken..U cook chicken every w/e and u don't want the "same old chicken gravy " expression from ur other half...I am in constant search for recipes..I found this recipe from Sailu's kitchen.. I loved this recipe, my friend who came over for dinner loved it too..

Sailu, Ur recipe is Tried, Tasted and Certified:Excellent!!!!

I adapted the recipe from here...

Ingredients:

Marinate:
½ kg chicken, washed and cut into medium sized pieces
3 tbsp curds
1 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to suit your spice level)
¼ tsp turmeric pwd
salt to taste

Make a paste:
6-7 cashewnuts
4-5 tbsps milk

Dry roast and make a fine powder:
1” cinnamon
10-12 curry leaves
3 cloves

Rest of the ingredients:
3-4 tbsps oil
2 big onions finely chopped
1 large tomato finely chopped
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp coriander powder
3/4 tsp black pepper powder (adjust to suit your spice level)
¼ tsp cumin powder
coriander leaves for garnish

Preparation:

Dont get deceived by this big list of ingredients..the curry tastes very good.. Do give it a try...I didn't do any change to the recipe just followed the footsteps of sailu...

1 Marinate chicken pieces in chilli powder, turmeric powder, curds and salt for 20 mts.
2 While the chicken pieces are marinating, make a paste of cashewnuts and milk. Keep aside.
3 Dry roast cinnamon, cloves and curry leaves for 1 mt and make a powder of them. Keep aside.
4 Heat 1 1/2 tbsps of oil in a cooking vessel. Add the onions and saute till pink. Add ginger-garlic paste and saute further for another 3-4 minutes on medium heat.
5 Add coriander pwd, cumin pwd, pepper pwd and combine well and fry for another minute.
6 Add the tomatoes and let it cook for 3-4 minutes. Combine well and cook till oil separates.Turn off heat. Cool and grind the cooked masala. Keep aside this masala paste.
7 Heat 1 1/2 tbsps oil in a cooking vessel and add the marinated chicken and cook on high flame for 4-5 minutes, reduce heat and cook covered for another 4-5 minutes.
8 Add the ground masala paste, cashewnut paste and ground powder of cinnamon,cloves and curry leaves and combine well. Cook till chicken pieces are soft and you get the desired curry consistency. Adjust salt.
9 Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Methi Mattar Malai

Methi mattar malai was totally new recipe to me..I had leftover whipped cream..was about to expire..I was browsing for some recipes, found this perfect recipe from...no guesses!!its none other than Mahanandi. Luckily I had methi/fenugreek leaves/vendiya keerai at home.. It came out very well and was a wonderful combo for rice or chappathi..

Indira, Ur recipe was Tried, Tasted & Certified: Excellent!!!!!



(Recipe source)


Ingredients:

Fresh fenugreek leaves (methi) - 1 cup
Fresh peas (matar) - 1 cup (I used Frozen peas)
Malai (cream) - half cup(homemade or store-bought evaporated milk - unsweetened variety)
2 red potatoes - peeled and cubed to bite sized pieces (I used Idaho potatoes)
Salt and turmeric to taste or half teaspoon each
Peanut oil or ghee - one teaspoon (I used corn oil)

Masala paste:

One small red onion or shallot ( I used 1/4 of big yellow onion)
one inch size ginger
six green chillies
two cloves
one inch piece of cinnamon stick
one teaspoon cumin and
quarter cup of fresh peas (peas are added to thicken the sauce)

Grind all these ingredients to fine paste!!!



Preparation:

I just followed the original recipe...

Heat oil in a wide skillet.
Add and saute the masala paste for 5 minutes on medium heat until the paste starts to turn red.
Now add one after another, first potatoes, then fenugreek leaves and finally peas. Do a quick stir-fry until the leaves wilt.I added peas at last stage after adding malai..to avoid overcooking them..Remember i used cooked frozen peas..
Add malai (evaporated milk). Stir in salt and turmeric and about 1 cup of water. (I also added a half teaspoon of jaggery which helps to bring out the sweetness of peas. But this is optional.)I Didn't add jaggery as this was optional..moreover I don't like sweetness in my curries... Cover and cook for about 15 minutes on medium heat until potatoes and peas are cooked to tender and the sauce thickens. Serve warm. Tastes superb with chapatis or with naans.

Round shaped Chicken Kebab

Chicken kebab is a perfect party food. When I was in Aberdeen, I was surprised to see loads of kebab shops...in every corner..they serve kebab with pita bread and veggies. After Fish & chips, kebab is the most liked fast food in UK. I never liked the taste of it. I was going through Sailu's site and found this awesome recipe. My hubby was overwhelmed by the taste of it. My friends appreciated me for making such a wonderful dish.

Thanks Sailu...Ur recipe is Tried,Tasted & Certified: Excellent.

I made this chicken kebab as a appetizer,The plate was empty within few minutes..The picture doesn't do any justice to the taste of the dish. I had no time to take further pictures coz 'hungry eaters' waiting for appetizer.. Next time sure to get good click of the kebab!!!

(Recipe source)

Ingredients:

1/2 kg boneless chicken pieces, cleaned and washed
1/4 kg onions finely sliced
8-10 fresh green chillies
5-6 dry red chillies (adjust according to your choice)
15-20 garlic flakes
3″ piece ginger chopped
small bunch coriander leaves, chopped
4 tbsp coriander seeds
1 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
2″ cinnamon stick
3 green cardamoms
5-6 cloves
20 cashewnuts
salt to taste
oil for deep frying

Preparation:

I didn't do any modification, Just followed the recipe as mentioned by sailu!!!

1.Heat a tbsp of oil in cooking vessel. Add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cardamom, cloves, Cinnamon, red chillis and cashewnuts and stir for a minute till a nice aroma emanates the whole kitchen. Be careful not to burn the spices. Cool.

2 .First grind the roasted ingredients along with ginger, garlic and green chillis to a coarse paste. Next add the chopped raw onions, coriander leaves, chicken and salt and grind further to form a smooth paste like shown in the picture above.2 Add a tbsp of oil to the ground mixture and mix thoroughly before shaping into small lemon sized balls.

3 .Heat oil for deep frying. Once its piping hot, reduce flame to medium and place these balls in the oil and fry them to a crisp, golden brown color.

4.Serve hot with tomato sauce or green chutney.

Cabbage Mor Kootu

Curry leaf is hosting Tried & Tasted: Tasty Palettes. T& T is brain child of Zlamushka of Spicy Kitchen. Suganya's Tasty Palettes is a vegetarian heaven..I was going through some of the the recipes, the one which caught attention was cabbage Mor kootu. I have done cabbage kootu but adding yogurt was totally different. I give it a try..It came out very well. It goes well with chappathi and rice...

Check out the original recipe here!!!!

Ingredients:

Cabbage – 1, small

Yogurt – ¾ cup

Grated coconut – 1/3 cup

Green chillies – 2

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Curry leaves – few

Oil – 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Preparation:

I followed the recipe step by step...without any variation... Here is the step by step procedure by suganya...

Slice cabbage into thin, 2 inch long pieces. Cook cabbage with little water and salt. Grind coconut, chillies and cumin seeds to a fine paste. When cabbage becomes soft and not mushy, add the ground mixture. Adjust salt and heat through.
In a seasoning pan heat oil, splutter mustard seeds and throw some curry leaves. Add this to cabbage kootu. Just before serving, mix cabbage with yogurt.

I am sending this to Curry Leaf's, T&T: Tasty Palettes.